Arsenal one of 11 clubs in for highly-rated defender as Mikel Arteta eyes summer transfer

Arsenal are one of 11 clubs who have expressed an interest in signing Middlesbrough defender Djed Spence this summer, understands.

The 21-year-old is currently on loan at Championship side Nottingham Forest where he has been impressing with a series of accomplished performances, including in the recent FA Cup victories over Arsenal and Leicester City.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is in the market for a right back this summer to compete with first choice Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Spence is seen as a young defender who has the potential to eventually become a mainstay in defence.

However, it's understood that ten other clubs have expressed interest in Spence who remains keen on a move to the Premier League this summer.

Calum Chambers left Arsenal permanently for Aston Villa last month, while it is not expected that either Ainsley Maitland-Niles or Hector Bellerin will return to the Emirates when their respective loan spells with Roma and Real Betis come to an end this summer.

Sources close to Cedric have revealed to that the Portuguese international is not closing any doors on a potential exit.

"I saw him after the game [against Arsenal] and said 'listen, my friend, you're on loan from Middlesbrough and I don't know what's happened there, because if you can't get into the Middlesbrough side, I don't know what's wrong, so I need to know the full story'," said Arsenal legend Ian Wright on Wrighty’s House podcast, after Forest's win against the Gunners last month.

"But let me say, that was one of the best right back performances I have seen for a very long time. A very long time.

"If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we're talking Reece James and Trent [Alexander-Arnold].

"But I have not